According to press in Argentina, AR 1183 AKL-EZE A340 (LV-ZPO) which was supposed to depart on Thursday 21 January had technical problems and returned to AKL and remains grounded in AKL after 2 days. As a result 250 pax are stranded in AKL. AR states that it had rebooked pax with LAN and QF however local media reports that only 40 pax arrived EZE so far (2 days after the technical problem) and more than 200 pax are still stranded in AKL after 48h of the problem.

Many of the 250 pax could not leave AKL airport for hotels because they had no visa and therefore had to stay inside the terminal building.

AR sent about 14 staff to AKL to try and repair the aircraft but aircraft remains grounded so far. The problem had been reported in one of the four engines (CFM56-5C2) of the aircraft and efforts had been made by AR to lease one engine from AF (cost of USD4000 per day). AR also considered removing one engine from an aircraft currently under maintenance in Brazil (LV-BIT).

Quoting Kaiarahi (Reply 3):If this were true, and the pax had been in the terminal for 48 hours, it would be all over the AKL media. There's nothing, so I suspect this part of the story is garbage.

This is not garbage because the 40 pax which arrived in EZE as mentioned above the majority of them were those with visa problem. AR gave priority to those with visa problem and kids when rebooking. The media even mentions the case of a 82y elder lady who had no visa and had to overnight inside AKL terminal.

I don't know what it is about AR, but on my recent flight out of EZE on AA, I was looking at the departure board and AR had 5 long haul flights scheduled to depart within the next few hours. I believe the destinations were SYD, MIA, FCO, BCN, and MAD. All 5 flights were significantly delayed, some by only 3-4 hours and on or two by as many as around 10 hours.

Quoting Crosswinds21 (Reply 11):I don't know what it is about AR, but on my recent flight out of EZE on AA, I was looking at the departure board and AR had 5 long haul flights scheduled to depart within the next few hours. I believe the destinations were SYD, MIA, FCO, BCN, and MAD. All 5 flights were significantly delayed, some by only 3-4 hours and on or two by as many as around 10 hours

That shoud be AR priority not today, but many months ago! Put the fleet in conditions where delays like that would not happen. For sure they lost a lot of premium revenue because of how reliable they are right now.

Quoting ZK-NBT (Reply 14):This is a 342 and getting that airbourne on 3 engines let alone 2 or 4 for that matter is hard enough, even if it ferried via PPT and whereever. AKL-EZE is close to 12 hours non stop!

I suspect that the size and weight difference (being lighter) than a 343 would mean that it would have a better chance of making the trip on three engines than its larger brethren, having the same engines. But it's still asking a lot, I suppose.

Quoting Irobertson (Reply 15):I suspect that the size and weight difference (being lighter) than a 343 would mean that it would have a better chance of making the trip on three engines than its larger brethren, having the same engines. But it's still asking a lot, I suppose.

I can't see how it would be certified to take off with a full tank off fuel for a 12 hour flight which would take a bit longer on 3 engines anyway, weather it had PAX or not.

Quoting 77west (Reply 20):A340-200 or -300 can hardly takeoff on 4 engines, I think on 3 they would not leave the ground.

If the plane is flying light (I mean just fuel and flight crew), then a three-engine takeoff on an A342/A343 should be no problem. Besides, those aircraft should also have certain provisions for engine-out situations. I sincerely doubt that Airbus would build an aircraft, regardless of whether it's a twin or a quad, that cannot properly perform in an engine-out scenario, otherwise neither FAA nor EASA would have certified the first generation A340 as airworthy and for commercial service.

Quoting PA515 (Reply 23):Perhaps Air Tahiti Nui could help out with a few charters to clear pax. They did some Ministry of Defence charters from Brize Norton to the Falklands when FlyGlobespan ceased operations.

Their's always ZK-NBT...

Next Flights:LHR-BOG,BOG-GYE,MDE-BOG-PTY,PTY-BOG-CTG,SMR-BOG-LHR - all on AV

Quoting Kaiarahi (Reply 3):If this were true, and the pax had been in the terminal for 48 hours, it would be all over the AKL media. There's nothing, so I suspect this part of the story is garbage.

Funny strong reaction on the subject. I wish I read the same denial reaction when we supposedly "locked and starved" no-visa Indian pax at CDG after tech failure and supposed abuse was reported all over

Quoting 77west (Reply 20):A340-200 or -300 can hardly takeoff on 4 engines, I think on 3 they would not leave the ground.

Old discussion, but it's true I don't want to be in an A343 the day they take off with one engine out, it is slow enough on 4 hairdryers

Quoting PA515 (Reply 23):They did some Ministry of Defence charters from Brize Norton to the Falklands when FlyGlobespan ceased operations.

Thanks! that explains why the other day we had a Tahiti Nui plane at CDG that was coming from Brize Norton: I had no idea what it meant